Grammar Issues

D_CountdeGrandePinja

Account Disabled
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
Posts
9,541
Media
0
Likes
182
Points
133
Sexuality
No Response
Hi - probably some incorrect spelling and verb tense - but we are family and we forgive - I'll bet, at times, when one is typing - they might be too focused in on
SOMETHING other than correct grammar usage!!!

Good thread.
 

nay-nay

Experimental Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Posts
745
Media
0
Likes
12
Points
163
Sexuality
No Response
there, their, and they're
your and you're

how can you not know the difference? :rolleyes:

*oh and apparently since i don't capitalize my i's on here, i must be an idiot. :rolleyes:
 

transformer_99

Experimental Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Posts
2,429
Media
0
Likes
9
Points
183
Sexuality
100% Straight, 0% Gay
Gender
Male
I'm not concerned so much or even bothered by another's grammatical mistakes. The point is the discussion and the substance of the points made for me.
 

Calboner

Superior Member
Verified
Gold
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Posts
9,024
Media
29
Likes
7,717
Points
433
Location
USA
Verification
View
Sexuality
100% Straight, 0% Gay
Gender
Male
It distresses me that so many people are unable to write plurals and possessive forms correctly, especially when they use an apostrophe to form a regular plural. For example, I just looked at a list of recent posts, and one thread has a title that asks a question about "post's" (sic).
 

blg3floor3

Experimental Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Posts
196
Media
0
Likes
3
Points
163
Location
AZ
Sexuality
100% Straight, 0% Gay
Gender
Male
Than and then are pretty common in a lot of places. But I'll grant that those might be a little harder to get right than to, too and two; your and you're; and their, there, and they're, as mentioned.

I'm not concerned so much or even bothered by another's grammatical mistakes. The point is the discussion and the substance of the points made for me.

Yeah. I usually noticed spelling and grammar mistakes, but I never comment on them. First off, this is the internet - I'll let the teachers at school/college correct someone's spelling and grammar mistakes (though not everyone is in school). Second, yes, as long as the overall point and message is clear enough to understand, the spelling and grammar aren't that important to me. The communication of one's ideas is what counts (to me). Most of these mistakes don't even apply to the language when spoken, so I try to treat the written form as equivalent.

Although occasionally a person's mistakes are so utterly atrocious that you can't even understand what they're saying, in which case intervention might be necessary.

What really does bother me though (but which I still don't comment on) is blatantly incorrect use of periods. There is a person at another forum who uses maybe one comma every 10-15 posts. They use periods where commas should be used and it makes it really hard to follow what they're saying. There are way too many abrupt stops which should be slight pauses and it makes the reading very choppy and annoying.
 

bek2335

Experimental Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Posts
508
Media
0
Likes
21
Points
103
Location
East Coast
Sexuality
69% Gay, 31% Straight
Gender
Female
I admit to being somewhat of a grammar, spelling and punctuation elitist. The thing with the misuse of apostrophes and not knowing possession from plural is maddening. And it seems that 3 out of 4 newscasters don't know when to use "farther" and when to use "further". Newscasters!

When I hear someone say something like "Yeah, I seen it" I immediately feel myself cringe and recoil.

Another one - perhaps my biggest - pet peeve is people who cannot seem to use a first person pronoun. For instance, a fireman who rescued a baby from drowning in river rapids will be asked, "What was it like?" and he will respond by saying , "You just act on instinct, you don't think." Who the F*#% is he talking about? Me? (I would do no such thing because I can't swim and I'd be too busy crapping my pants.) What can't he just say, "I". What is with that? It's everywhere!!!
 

bek2335

Experimental Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Posts
508
Media
0
Likes
21
Points
103
Location
East Coast
Sexuality
69% Gay, 31% Straight
Gender
Female
And let's not even start talking about all of the people who post these opinionated, testy messages and they can barely spell! Perhaps if you cannot spell you should step down from your podium for awhile and brush up on your spelling, no?
 

Mem

Sexy Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Posts
7,912
Media
0
Likes
54
Points
183
Location
FL
Sexuality
99% Gay, 1% Straight
Gender
Male
"You just act on instinct, you don't think." Who the F*#% is he talking about?

To me it doesn't sound wrong. It's conversational English. It's like saying "one just acts on instinct."
 

bek2335

Experimental Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Posts
508
Media
0
Likes
21
Points
103
Location
East Coast
Sexuality
69% Gay, 31% Straight
Gender
Female
Mem: You are more tolerant than I am, I would guess. "One just acts" is perfectly correct. But the "you"...it makes me feel like the speaker thinks he or she is on a bad reality show and is universalizing an experience. It seems NO ONE is able to speak in the first person anymore.
 

bek2335

Experimental Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Posts
508
Media
0
Likes
21
Points
103
Location
East Coast
Sexuality
69% Gay, 31% Straight
Gender
Female
What are the most common English Grammar issues you see on websites such as these?

Also, if you have any questions about English Grammar, feel free to ask here or send me a message :) Yes, and thanks for the offer. When should one use "toward" and when "towards". And is your offer good for the future or just for now?

-A Grammar Enthusiast :)
 

bigbull29

Worshipped Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Posts
7,577
Media
52
Likes
14,087
Points
343
Location
State College (Pennsylvania, United States)
Sexuality
Pansexual
Gender
Male
I see so many people who make sense good points but are unable to punctuate properly.

Most folks, even more educated ones, don't know how to use semicolons, colons, dashes, and commas correctly (there is some grey area at times, I admit).

I love to debate punctuation issues with the experts.

Punctuation glues our thoughts together. Without it, things don't stick right. :biggrin1: